Ethan Ebanks-Landell: Shrewsbury clean sheet was team effort

Town favourite Shaun Whalley struck 11 minutes into the second half to earn Steve Cotterill's side a 1-0 home victory over MK Dons on Saturday.

The win, just a third in 13 league games this term, moved Town up two spots to 21st and crucially ended their barren run of 16 games without keeping a clean sheet.

Ebanks-Landell led the way with a captain's display at the heart of Shrewsbury's back three. The skipper put in his best performance of the season to keep the visitors, who are enjoying an impressive campaign, at bay.

Former Wolves and MK Dons man Ebanks-Landell said: "We knew we had to stick together and it came to fruition.

"As a defender it's my job to defend and we haven't had any of them, so hopefully more to come.

"At times you can look at the strikers and say 'why haven't you scored?' but they can look to us and say 'why haven't you kept any out?' I know it's a team game, but at the same time it's defenders' and midfielders' job to keep them out.

"As a back three and back five, and with Dave (Davis) and Luke (Leahy) in the midfield two, and Shaun coming back in as well, as a whole squad we defended well, even from the front.

"You aren't going to get clean sheets unless the whole team defends well. From set-pieces we had Bowman and Cosgrove in there, Leahy, everyone done their job, I couldn't be happier for everyone.

"Obviously you want three points and a clean sheet is a bonus but it's your foundation, you want to defend first and as long as you do your job as a team then anything can happen."

Centre-half Ebanks-Landell, who is now three appearance from clocking up 100 in Town colours, said goal hero Whalley was the perfect man for Shrewsbury's big chance to drop to.

He said: "I said he's lucky to score because the gaffer always talk about the need to square it!

"There's probably not another player you'd want in that position, he's done it over the years and done it against me before."